Paper Petals #2

Came home today from the second Paper Petals meet where we exhanged our first set of cards. There are currently six people so I received 5 pretty new designs.

I ended up making my card till the last minute huhu T.T (in between chores here and there!) I wanted to incorporate a technique so I scoured through my books and magazines taking notes... I finally came up with an idea involving acetate (similar to overhead projector sheets) but couldn't get the creative juice to flow -_- So I thought about it over dinner and decided that I would use my idea for a Christmas card :)

***which meant back to the drawing board***

I decided to make something similar to a design that caught my eye before, really liked the pale colour coordination. I cut out the right scraps and things (the blue paper I used had a matching ink, but luckily the pink I had around the house worked together well).

I had a few issues with the layout and how the elements worked together as I made one big change which was the strip down the middle was cut with a border punch so many other elements had to change.

I worked something out (although my "no two cards are the same" policy got in the way) and set to writing out the instructions, despaired when I had to write it out eight times, so typed it up and went to look at the OfficeWorks website about document printing... their website was down... -_-

(An aside, I did go to Office works and I even bought a copy card - free to purchase but have to insert $1 or $2 coin... then couldn't figure out how to print so went to the counter and it's all done from there... goodbye $2 coin...)

Anyway, I'm generally happy with the card and I did write that alternatively it could be made as a gatefold card (i.e. it opens like saloon doors lol), but after making it, I think I should have made the actual card to be a gatefold card because the paper is layered and just looks like it will open lol

Instructions I used for the swap

Stamps

• Swirl: “Baroque Motifs” (Stampin’ Up)
• Sentiment: “Baroque Motifs” (Stampin’ Up)
  OR “French Phrases” #45797 (Sullivans)
• Script: “Secret Bird Society” (kaisercraft clear stamps)

Colours

• Blue; “Pool Party” (Stampin’ Up)
• Pink; N/A

Other

• Pink ribbon; rhinestones (if applicable); white embossing powder; Versamark; border punch (fiskars “spreading water”)

Method

1. Cut blue cardstock approx. 5cm by 14cm (Or an A4 cut into 8 pieces)
2. Stamp the script stamp 2/3s of the way down the card
3. Place pink ribbon on the blue card (in the empty space); jazz it up with knots, bows, rhinestones, layering, criss-cross effects
4. Cut pink cardstock approx. 10cm by 14cm (Or an A4 cut into 4 pieces)
5. Use an edge punch on one long edge
6. Stamp the script stamp 1/3 of the way up the card
7. Stamp the swirl with Versamark and emboss with white embossing powder
8. Cut a strip of the blue paper and emboss a sentiment onto the paper
9. Place the sentiment onto the pink card over the script stamp
10. Glue the pieces side-by-side onto a folded card

Alternatives

• Create it as a gatefold card
• At step 1., trim the card about 2cm shorter and use that piece for the sentiment
• Switch the colours/layout of the elements
• Add glitter to the holes (border punch)

I also learnt how to make rosettes and was given a plain tag to decorate, if only I could make something as beautiful as this!

A close-up of some other swaps!

Pretty pieces and cards (and my bad drawing skills)

Just wanted to show a little prize I received from another blog called Khatsii's Adventures, she does some great pieces on make-up (which she purchases herself), happenings in her life and other things she recommends such as iPhone apps, food in Melbourne, quick and stylish outfits! Sorry, did I mention sunglasses!!!
 

The unveiling...

A little note & cute erasers

lip gloss and eye shadow

phone charms, the cat and fish are actually separate charms but I have a feeling they were put in together on purpose ^^

 It was a competition that you did with a friend so afterwards, Frejya and I also made a card together (after two hours sleep might I add).

And here are some DrawSomethings XD My phone doesn't support screenshots ('cause of that root thing) so that's why you can see the lines on the screen lol! What a funky app lol XD

Couldn't resist writing egg lol... one of the games I played actually spelt out my name =D but the answer to that one was marine -_-

close up of the drawing, can't remember the answer but I thought it was a good drawing for a phone :P

my drawing for tumblr lol!

Tequila Sunrise

A friend of mine had a cocktail night for her birthday so I made her this pretty card ^^

It's based ont he envelope style card so you can pull another card out which has the message on it and attached to that is a mini umbrella and a lemon.

 

 Cup:

• Stampin' Up Calypso Coral ink
• Happy Birthday in Chinese (from a market stall) 
• embossed with Versamark and white embossing powder
• yellow rhinestone

 Inside:

• Skewer
• Triangle cut out from Japanese washi paper
• "Cherry" from a balloon punch
• Lemon, drew a half circle (I think I used yellow paper) and an orange pen - Marvy Brush Marker NO.7 orange

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tequila_Sunrise_%28cocktail%29

Doraemon can fly!

I've traditionally made a Doraemon themed card for my friend each year, haven't seen him for yonks but not wanting to break the tradition, I combined my current 'hot air ballon' card addiction with a Doraemon head lol!

As usual, I cut the shapes out myself, I inked the paper around the eyes so they would turn up more. Lacking red ribbon, I used my ink pens to colour a ribbon so the paper did get slightly stained and then I strung a little bell on it (I think these are the only times I've used them, *sigh*). Rather than just stick foam tape around the edges, I added extra tape at the top of the balloon so it makes the balloon stick out more at the top!

As the background, rather than the usual swirls/medallion, I used my Chinese Happy Birthday stamp with versamark and chalk, but since I randomly placed colours it didn't look that great so I did add some elegant purple swirls! (most of it gets covered anyway -_-)

Paper Petals

Just joined a stamping club hosted the Stampin' Up demonstrator I go to the workshops of! So basically, when meeting up you would make a set of cards (or card fronts) to swap with a recipe list of the items you used to make it. e.g. if there are ten people in the club, you'd make ten cards and swap them, going home with nine new ideas (you keep one for yourself ^^).

This is the card we received from joining up, just a taste of what we'll be getting.(And what we have to do!)

Although the next meeting is still in 3 months, we'll be informed as the time gets closer on how many cards we need to make, and at the first session we'll be decorating a box, which is sort of the mini mailbox to store our new cards!

It really reminds me of a book I read a while back "The Cookie Club" by Ann Pearlman. It's basically just a random novel about a cookie club hostess and what's happening in her life, her's family's and some of her close friend's lives. Each chapter introduces a new cookie recipe (I think there were about 12 club members) as well. What happens is that they make 12 sets of cookies, but rather than keeping the 12th for themselves, the extra packaged cookies are given to the local hospital as a Christmas gift to the long term patients. Might be a bit hazy on the details as I'm writing this from memory! And yes, here's a photo of it but I can't be bothered reading the explanation XD.

  Font is different for each recipe!

 Info on ingredients!

And here's the blog address for the Paper Petals Stamp Club =D

Elephantina

One of the cards I made at the second craft session, the previous one I made with the elephant hot air balloon was so cute I wanted to keep it, so I made another one. Turns out it was super girly so I ended up giving the original away as it was a blue/grey design.

Some more hot air balloons - cuter this time ^^

Went to another sleepover and I taught Soddy how to make the same card I showed Tiff ^^ We ended up using her cardstock supply O_O as I wanted to show the girls what my Sizzlix embossing plates, so I embossed a few samples and forgot to repack my cardstock :(

Photo's off Tiff's phone!


Soddy's card with a different angle to the balloon~

My elephant hot air balloon card - squeeeeeeee, guess it's looks like a good baby boy card!

Tiff's lovely creation, she chalked up some of the embossed cards (yay, they were used) after punching them with the bird punch that Stampin' Up has.

Christmas cards for 2011!

I started planning out some Christmas cards and came up with a few designs, some which worked and some which er... didn't! My sister thought up a really cool hot air balloon related one but I'll save that for next year XD

Designs for classmates - and a test run of my new stamp with embossing

 

A card I made for some relos, so basically it's just strips of green pattern, I modge podged it so it'd stay together and then cut out triangles.The final design was stuck on cardstock with buttons as baubles. I can't find a copy of the final designs photos but I made these right before my trip!

 Asian style card.

Some of the plans I drew up for the cards and some pieces which didn't get made into cards.

The main bulk of my cards were in this style. So I had a new sheet music stamp with a Christmas carol, and it either became the background or the pattern for the tree.

Paper Craft 2011

About two weeks ago I went to Paper Crafts festival which was in Penrith. I arrive on the Friday at around 11 (the show opens at 10) and there's a line!!! Anyway, it's not too long a wait and then I head inside and get a sheep stamp (craft clubbing!)

First off I did a round, remembering the items I liked, comparing prices (of course there's an upside and a downside to that) and I did miss out on an edge punch and sheet music I wanted *Disappointed face* =(

I started off with "Scrapware's Make 'n' Take by Angela Connoly", held by the store Scrapware who were selling chipboard products. The class was led by a mixed media artist mamed Linda Baldock and we made this lovely brooch. I was gonig to put gold paint over the top of the red but she told me to try the gold gilded wax and it was pretty cool!!! You can also see the gilded wax on the bottom layer with the embossed chipboard!

I started making my purchases and since I wanted some Christmas stamps I looked at all the stores and was quite tempted to buy a large tree stamp with "Merry Christmas" written in several languages in the tree/triangle shape but ended up with these cute ones ^^ I also bought two mini stamps which were quite detailed... I know I have a dandelion stamp already but this one was just so cute!!!

As I've recently bought a Sizzix BigShot (which was the biggest pain to open and also missing the washer!!) I needed to scout out some nice embossing dies. I chose these two Sizzix ones since they were on sale and since I had to keep within budget it was a choice between dots and baroque... and baroque won!

Practical Publishing Australia were giving out free bone folders (used for scoring/folding cardstock) so I gave them some patronage too... though I got 3 magazines for $15 because it was supposed to be 2 for $10, so seems like they wanted to clear some stock!

Went back to the craft table and made the other one they too!

Also bought a heat gun (finally) so I can put away the toaster, some cardstock, a corner punch (I know I can just cut it with scissors but it was in the sale bin -_-), some cute chipboards and liquid pearls (bought snow colours for Christmas cards!)

Afterwards I went in search of a book and caught a glimpse of Nicholas Sparks on the way (A Walk To Remember, Notebook, Dear John) but did wait in line for his autograph.

Dropped my new stash off at home and then I went to a Christmas card workshop hosted by the Stampin' Up consultant whom my family friend has parties with and some some really nice cards while sipping on tea!